The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-27
The Ladies' Window.
From the Ne,u York Sun.


The postmaster of one of the three great cities
that practically compose New York was spoken
to by the father of a modest young girl, but a
little inclined toward rebellion because forbid
den to correspond with young man of her ac-
quaintance. The parents seeing no more let
tiers come TO the house, supposed their daughter
was all obedience, but she had confessed that
she was still exchanging letters
Well, said the postmaster, there it is
again--that Satanic ladies' window. You do
not begin to appreciate the harm it does But
what can we do? There must be window, call
1t wbatyo will, where men and women, and
bows and girls having no permanent address can
call for letters addressed simply in the care of
the Post Office. 1t is necessary and good that
the convenience be kept up, my dear sir.
The clerk at that window in this Office
is trying to lessen the harm of that window and
what he is doing has my approval, but every
sucn effort is unwarranted in law. He says to
the girls aud married women who give different
names to different persons as their own names,
You can have the letters fer Sarah Stewart but
you must always be Sarah Stewart after this if
you take them. You cannot come tomorrow
and ask for letters for Sarah Watkins He
does that, and he holds back lots of letters, but
he has no right to. In your relatives case, if
she is under age and her parents or guardian
ask us not to deliver letters to her. we can bold
them back or deliver them TO her elders, but all
the women who are of age can keep ON misIlsing
the governments service, and there is no law
full way OF stopping them"
The ladies window also accomplisheS good in
many CASES nOucH dkll 10 uIdhS
in the Strangest quarters, and the consequence
is that the grizzled men at those windows hear
many queer things W len the callers are few and
there is time to talk and to listen. One of these
condolences was that of a sad-visaged wife who
asked that her letters never on any account be
given to any one else. because" she said they
bring me the only money that stands between
starvation and my children and me. My husband
does work, but drinks up all can earn with
my needle, even collecting my earnings before
can go to get them. My brother in the West
sends me what he cen spare, and with that
make up the rent and get food and clothing for
my little ones. ] do not want to desert my huS-
band but he must never know of this extra
money that get" Then there are the womenwho
are secretly engaged or even secretly married.
who tel the man at the ladies' window all abous
why they have taken the step, and what
terrible consequences would follow if it were
ever found out. Il tell you this, though have
never told any one else one of them explained,
because | must tell some one. | had to talk
TO some one about it, and come toyou because
you are the one l get his letters from" One
young woman on securing a regular weekly
letter remarked one day to the clerk: What a
jolly row there would be if my folks knew | was
getting these letters. My sister has married a
Christian, and we are Jewish, you know. She
has been renowned by all my family, but she
and l keep each other posted every week, for
she is my sister just the same, and all she did
was to marry the man she was fond of, after
ALL" Thus the ladies' window lends itself to
the best as we'll as to the weakest and the worst
impulses and motives, and thus. so far as any
one can foresee, it must continue to do as long
as post offices are public institutions.